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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0776.PDF
770 FLIGHT, 19 June 1953 FROM ALL QUARTERS FLEDGED: WN 339, first production version of the Fairey Gannet, has now emerged—Peter Twiss took it from London Airport to White Waltham—and been delivered to the M.o.S. Modifica tions include redesigned cockpit hoods, "square" mainwheel doors and modified front oleo leg. Thoughts on Avro's Atlantic ALTHOUGH most of the available details of Avro's new L delta-wing airliner were published in Flight last week, a certain amount of fresh information and conjecture has arisen as a result of the Press conference held by Sir Roy Dobson, last Thursday, to announce the project. Sir Miles Thomas, chairman of B.O.A.C., was present on the occasion, as was Mr. Stuart Davies, chief designer to A.V. Roe and Co. Avro's, said Sir Roy, had started on a preliminary design study of the "inevitable" civil development of the Vulcan as soon as work on the former so permitted—and here was the result, for potential operators to study. The machine was clearly a relation of the Vulcan, and experience with the latter would undoubtedly reduce development time: but a great part of the Atlantic was new, even the wing being different (i.e., larger) than that of the bomber. It would probably take up to three years to get a prototype flying once the word "go" had been given. Power units contemplated at the moment were Olympus turbojets, but a feature of the big delta wing was that almost any power plant could be stowed within it without necessitating serious modification. B.O.A.C.—who, of course, were not in any way committed to the aircraft—had none theless made their operating experience available on a generous scale, and this had been very useful indeed in the creation of the new design. The project was now on the board: the question was, what would happen next ? The answer to that was quite simple. Some potential operator, not necessarily B.O.A.C. (although they were in the most advantageous position), must evince sufficient interest in the machine to persuade the Ministry of Supply to finance a prototype. There was no question of Avro's building a prototype as a private venture. Then, as Sir Miles Thomas said, a potential airline customer would need to satisfy himself that the type could do all that it was claimed to do, before placing an order. At least DISCUSSING THE ATLANTIC are, left to right, Mr. J. A. R. Kay (director), Mr. C. Monk (project engineer) and Mr. J. R. Ewans (chief aerodynami- cist). This J/24 scale model—built by Avro craftsmen—shows the basic 94-seat layout, which provides for rearward-facing seats. 20 aircraft would need to be ordered before the manufacturer could contemplate production—but Sir Roy Dobson thought that if a major airline ordered any aircraft at all, it would require at least that number, and he personally had no doubt whatever that the performance of the prototype would measure up to its design specification. Turning now from the Press conference to theories about the future, it would seem that the crucial decision to be made will, in point of fact, almost certainly be that of B.O.A.C.—who, sometime within the next year or so, must decide on a 100-passenger aircraft capable of cruising at approximately Mach 0.9, for introduction into service in 1958 or 1959. It is clear that there are four possible contenders for this honour: the Vickers V.C.7, which will have the economic advantage of having a very-near relative in production (the Vickers 1,000); the Atlantic, the performance of which, in Sir Miles Thomas' estimation, appears to be five-six years ahead of any known American design; the crescent-winged H.P. 97; and de Havillands' successor to the Comet 3, whatever that may be styled. Unofficial price estimates seem slightly in favour of the Atlantic. The total number of aircraft of this size and cost which may be ordered from all sources is unlikely to be very large, and it seems on the face of it that perhaps only two of these aircraft will be built, even as prototypes. Once the decision to build a prototype has been made, the design chosen will obviously be in the most advantageous position. But the critical decision—which ought not to be long delayed— as to which design (or designs) to build at all, is likely to cause the burning of much midnight oil. The Royal Tournament HOW to put aviation "across" within the confines of an indoor arena is the perennial problem of those charged with staging the R.A.F.'s contribution to the Royal Tournament. Last week, at Earls Court, we saw how successfully they had met their re sponsibility this year, and with what a sympathetic sense of atmosphere the actors told the story of their Service. It was not, however, the men and women who were the real stars of the piece : these were the Bleriot monoplane (loaned by the Shuttleworth Trust), the Sopwith Camel and Bristol Fighter (property of the Imperial War Museum), the Hurricane and a full- scale mock-up of the Fairey F.D.i delta-wing research aircraft. The declared object of the display was to illustrate the changing methods of handling aircraft; but it went farther than this. It was at once highly educative in a technical sense (not only in respect of the aircraft themselves, but of the equipment and uni forms of their ground and air crews); it was fully as spectacular as could be hoped for; and, above all—according to the age of the viewer—it stirred the memory or aroused the imagination. If we are not mistaken, many a heart will beat quicker beneath an R.F.C. or R.N.A.S. tie before the Tournament ends on June 27, especially when the Camel makes its bow to the nostalgic strains of Keep the Home Fires Burning. But why, we found ourselves wondering, did the narrator not inform the assembly that the actual Camel they saw before them had itself destroyed a Zeppelin ? The machines had been refurbished for the occasion, and very dashing they looked; but again we wondered if it was quite proper to repaint the original stained fabric and insignia. Somehow it seemed to us like dyeing the faded Colours of Waterloo. Had other, authentically marked, examples existed, we should have been less regretful. The air interest of the Tournament is not confined to this "Pageant of Progress in Service Aviation," as it is entitled. We
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